Dental x-ray apparatus



Filed July 21, 1958 FIG. 2.

M s h a a. m@ y r .41 i F M -m III/I'll United States 2,97 6,416 DENTALX-RAY APPARATUS Irving A. Ellman, 1624 Sherbourne Road,

Valley Stream, N.Y.

Filed July 21, 1958, Ser. No. 750,043

Claims. (Cl. 25065) ment presently in common use is of the high voltagetype,-

and consequently requires transformers and vacuum tubes.

' These elements are relatively bulky, hence the tubes and source of theX-rays must be positioned outside of the patients mouth.

Another aim of the present invention is to simplify the process ofproducing dental radiographs. In the present art of dental radiography,all techniques depend on a combination of angulations, which relate thehead position, the angle of the tooth to be X-rayed, the angle of thephotographic film, and the angle of the X-rays, to produce a radiographwhich is as true to tooth size' as possible. Because of the presence ofthe tongue and the arched shape of the palate it is very diificult toplace the film in the same relative position for each patient. As aresult, angulations must be changed for each patient and for eachseparate radiograph. The source of the X-rays in the present inventionis a radioactive isotope of pin point size, which may be centered insidethe dental arch. The X-rays radiate from it like the spokes of a wheel,through the teeth to the fihn outside the dental arch.

.The angular relationship betweenthe X-rays, the teeth and the film isconstant and remains so-for all patients, eliminating the need. forangular determinations.

Still another object of the present invention is to. produce an improveddental radiograph. .With present-day high voltage X-ray equipment, whichis positioned outside a patients mouth, it isnecessary to take 16separate '1 inch radiographs, to completely examine the mouth. Not onlyis it time consuming'to expose, develop and'mount 16 separate films, butit is difficult to read each film because of a small amount ofoverlapping which is necessarytO prevent omissionof any details. Sincethe device, which is the subject-matter. of the present applicationmakes itpossible to position the film closer. to and more parallel totheteeth', the final radiographic image will be sharper and lessdistorted. V

; And a yet furthe'r purpose of the present invention is to providemeans whereby all ofthe teeth'in a patients mouth will appear on asingle film somewhat larger in size than the filmpresently in use, theteeth being filmed as they actuallyuappear in the mouth, thereby makingit easier for a dentist to take, develop and read the film.

A further advantage of the present invention is to make it possible totake dental X-rays without a source of electricity. V

Another aim of the present invention is to reduce the ateIItC amount ofradiation to a patient. With the apparatus of the present invention, theamount of radiation exposure necessary to make an exposure of all theteeth in a patients mouth on 1 film, is the same as that which'isnecessary for a single X ray by the 16 series method presently. Theradiation doseage to the patient is'therefore in use. I reducedconsiderably.

I 7 These and other meritorious aims and advantages, which willbecomemorefully apparent as the description'hereof proceeds, areattained by the novel construction and combination of few and simpleparts, hereinafter described,

and illustrated 'in the accompanying drawing, forming a materialcomponent of the present application, and in which:

. inside of the patients mouth.

Fig. 1a is a view similar to Fig; 1, but showing the right hand side ofa patients mouth and further illustrating the film positioned outsidethe mouth.

Fig. 2'is an enlarged rearview of the lead container, partly in sectionto showthe interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section,

drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the lead container open. V 1 fFig. is a view of the device similar to Fig. 3 with the lead containerclosed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device which constitutes thesubject-matter of the present invention.

1 Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the free end of the cable control.

Broadly, the present invention comprises a plastic (radioparentl biteplate on which is mounted a lead-(raw diopaque) base having a hingedlysecured lead cover. I The said radiopaque base or box containsasegmentof a radio-active isotope such as cesium 137, the radio emis-"sion strength of which corresponds to that of-the average 9 dental X-raytube now commonly in use; The said lead box is opened and closed bymeans of a cable, the cover serving as a protective cover as well as ameans for makby a pin 5 to the rear edge of the lead base 2. Pin 5 1also has secured thereto a spring 6, whereby the lead cover 4is closed.The X-rays from the radioactive isotope 3, radiate outwardly through theteeth 7 to produce a radiograph on a photographic film 11.

film directly as in Fig. l or whether the rays first pass through thecheek and lip tissues 10, as in Fig. 1a, before 7 striking thephotographic film 11a because compared to the density of toothstructure, the cheek tissues are radio-f j lucent.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing, a wire cable 8 extendsin part through a transversly directed opening through the center of thebite plate 1. When the bite plate 1 .is positioned in a patients mouth,a partfof wire 9 will extend outwardly and this outwardly extending 5portion is entered into and retained in an inwardly thread-p ed fitting9. Near its other end, the said wire passes out of the central openingin bite plate 1 through an opening in the normally underside of the biteplate. Wire 8 then advances rearwardly to the normally inner edge. ofplate 1 and then upwardly behind the lead cover 4 where it 2,916, 6 IPatented M It does not matter whether the rays, after passing throughthe teeth hit the V in the following manner.

-maxillary and mandibular frames.

retained in an opening in the lead cover4 at the rear edge screw fittingwhich is adapted to be enteredinto fitting 9. To the other end of cable14, is connected a cross bar 15, which can be pulled back in groove22.in control cable housing 16. The rear opening of control housing 16 hasan inside thread into which screws thumbrest 17. Return spring 18 isinside control cable housing 16 and helps to return all the cableshelping cover 4 to close'after exposure is made.

A suitable timing device may be added to parts 15, 16, 17, so thatexposures may be automatically timed. Another choice, is a separatetimer, with its own permanently connected cable parts 13, 14, which canbe connected directly to fitting 9.

Although in this apparatusthe control of exposure is through a cable, avariation ispossible where the patient can, by clenching the teeth on adouble plastic bite plate open the lead container, and make theexposure. .By unclenching the teeth, the patient can close the leadcontainer and stop the radiation. This type of apparatus would have anadvantatge in that no hole would be necessary in the film, for a cablecontrol to pass through.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 through 6 operates Two kinds offilm arepreferably used in connection with the present device, a largefilm when it is necessary to take an .Xray of the entire mouth, and asmall film when it is necessary to X-ray only .a part of the mouth. Thelarger film, which is applied outside the patients mouth is providedwith a slot through which the control mechanism is adapted to pass. Thisfilm is also preferably provided with an elastic band whereby the filmis held in place while the exposure is made. A smaller film may be usedinside the mouth. This film preferably has a groove centered on itsupper and lower edge so that it will not interfere with the Fitting 9of' plastic plate 1 is slipped through the center hole of a film thencontrol cable 13, 14, 15, 16, is screwed into fitting 9. Plastic plate 1is placed inside the mouth of the patient and the patient is instructedto close the teeth on it. The film 7 is now adapted to the patients lipsandcheeks, and the elastic band is carried over the top of the patientshead and slipped down to the back of the head where it will exert a pullon the film keeping closely adapted to the patients face. The dentistnow takes the control cable 15, 17, between his thumb and index andforefinger. He now moves to the back of the patient,.so thathe will notstand in the path of the direct X-rays. By squeezing the control 15, 17,he opens the cover 4 of lead container 2, permitting the rays to radiatefrom the isotope 3, through the teeth 7, exposing the photographic film11. When enough exposure has been given he releases the control, 15, 17,and the lead container closes stopping the radiation of X-rays from theisotope 3. Plastic plate 1 is now removed from the mouth of the patient,cable 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, disconnected from fitting 9 and film 11 isremoved and is now ready to be developed in the dark room, in adeveloping solution and fixed in a hypo solution after which it can beread.

The apparatus is used in the same way for the smaller film except thatthe smaller film'is placed inside the lips and the cheeks against theoutside of the patients teeth.

The apparatus can also be used to .take an X-ray on a regular 1 inchsize radiographic 'film where an X-ray of only 2 or 3 teeth is wanted,as for example, in the case of a tooth ache. In this case the plate 1and cable 13 are connected. The plate 1 is placed in the month betweenthe teeth, and the small film is placed on the outside of the teethdesired to be X-rayed and held there by the patient while the exposureis made.

Having thus shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for taking a radiograph of the teeth consisting of aflat plastic plate, shaped straight in the back and curved at the sidesto match the arch of the teeth, and having a handle projecting out ofthe front with a hole in it which is placed and held between the teethof the patient and which has on its rear edge a rectangular leadcontainer made up of a lead base and a hinged cover, which hinge has aself closing spring incorporated in it, and which lead containerencloses a small piece of radioactive isotope, and has a small loop onthe back top of its lead cover to which is connected a thin braided'cable said cable passes down behind the lead container and under theplastic bite plate, then coming forward to an opening in the center ofthe under surface of the plastic plate where it is connected to a wirerod which passes forward through a hole in the center of the plasticplate, and terminates at the front end of the plastic handle in aninside thread fitting, to which is connected a screw fitting on the endof a sheathed cable, said cable terminates in a control that whensqueezed by the dentist produces a pulling action on the cablestransmitting this" jaws.

2. An apparatus for taking radiographs of the teeth, said apparatuscomprising a radiolucent bite plate shaped to conform to the contour ofthe arch of the teeth, said bite plate-adapted to be positioned in themonth between the upper and the lower teeth, a handle extendingoutwardly from said bite plate, an opening extending centrallytherethrough and through said bite plate, a lead container on thenormally upper surface of said bite plate, a cover hingedly connectedthereto, spring means normally retaining said cover in closed positionupon said lead container, a segment of radioactive isotope in said leadcontainer, and manually operable means extending through the opening inthe bite plate to open said cover whereby the isotope will radiateX-rays to expose a photographic film.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein one end of said manuallyoperable means is attached to said lead cover, said other end of saidmanually operable means extending outwardly through said handle, andoutward pulling of saidsecond named end causing said first named end toopen the radiopaque cover against the action of said spring.

4. An apparatus for the purpose defined, said apparatus comprising aradiolucent bite plate adapted to be removably positioned in a personsmouth between the upper and lower teeth, said bite plate terminating ina handle portion extending out of the person's mouth, a radiopaque baseon said bite plate, a hinged cover for said base, spring means normallyurging said cover to close said base, a segment of radioactive isotopein said base, and manually operable means extending through said handleand said bite plate and terminating in said cover,'said manuallyoperable means opening said cover releasably against the action of saidspring to expose f an X-ray film.

5. A device for the purpose described as set forth in claim 2, whereinsaid manually operable means comprise a wire, said wire extendingthrough and out of said bite 2 References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Forde et a1. Oct. 11, 1932 Resler Apr. 4,1950 Shapiro Oct. 14, 1952 Stewart et a1. Apr. 13, 1954 'Untermyer July2, 1957 Butler Apr. 1, 1958 Costello July 15, 1958

